December 2022 update: While this kit is no longer made, you can still get the Bruno the Bear crochet pattern for free here. Rico creative cotton aran is available from LoveCrafts & other yarn stores in a whole rainbow of shades, or you could use any other yarn instead.
DK or light worsted yarn works best, because Rico creative cotton aran is quite light and crochets like DK to me. But you could use true aran yarn with a 4-4.5mm hook instead. Crocheting a multicolor teddy bear also makes a great stashbusting project to use up yarn scraps.
When I made the Rico Bruno the Bear Crochet pattern, the kit instructions were a bit sparse, so I followed a more detailed version from a magazine instead.
I found Needle Noodles’ jogless crochet stripes in the round technique invaluable for making the changeover between stripes barely noticeable. Here’s the video tutorial:
I wish patterns for striped projects in the round would include tips like this – it makes such a difference to the end result. Unfortunately, I only came across this technique after I had made the body of the bear (the largest part!) but I was able to hide the colour changes fairly well under one of Bruno’s arms.
I had a spot of bother with one of the legs, and that’s when I realised that the kit pattern and the magazine pattern were slightly different in places. But I think my bear turned out OK in the end.
The Bruno the bear crochet pattern was part of Rico’s Patchwork Family kits which were all sadly discontinued. But you can still get both the Bruno the Bear and Ted the Dachsund crochet pattern for free online if you would like to crochet some cute multicolor animals.
You can read about other crochet teddy bear patterns I’ve made here.
I’m also doing this kit and I’ve also run out of pink yarn as well. I have so far followed the instructions in the kit (my kit didn’t contain a neckchief!) I found your review when I looked online for help with the leg too. I really need this completed for my daughters birthday tomorrow but the start of the leg doesn’t make sense, I may have to just do it as I can.
Hi Claire,
Hope your daughter is enjoying her birthday and you got the bear finished in time. If it was the start of the foot that was causing you problems, it’s using a technique where you crochet into both sides of the foundation chain. Here is a tutorial for this: http://www.crochettoday.com/how-to/how-work-both-sides-foundation-chain
But I have seen other bear patterns where the legs and arms are all the same shape, which is easier, and they can look lovely as well.
Hi, I have this kit from my sister but unfortunately, I lost the pattern so I can’t finished my Bruno 🙁
I just finished about 12 rounds and my pattern sheet was lost. I’ve searched it anywhere and cannot find it..
Can I ask you for the pattern? I want to finish it badly 🙁
Hi Janine,
Thank you for posting this, I am also having problems with this kit. Could you please tell me how big your bear is when it is finished? As I am half way through body and nearly finished all the yarn! Did you do double crochet for the body as instructed, now I am thinking it should have been single crochet as it might use less yarn?
thanks
Susanna
Hi Susanna,
I gave my bear away as a gift but I will try and check the approx height with the recipient. I used double crochet but mine was a UK pattern so that’s only single crochet in USA terms. That could well explain things, because if you have used Double Crochet US that would be Treble Crochet UK and the bear would be much bigger and have different proportions and the fabric would also not be as solid.